{"id":158,"date":"2015-03-18T01:29:25","date_gmt":"2015-03-18T01:29:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theundergroundchurch.net\/blog\/?p=158"},"modified":"2015-03-18T01:29:25","modified_gmt":"2015-03-18T01:29:25","slug":"the-lorica-of-saint-patrick","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/theundergroundchurch.net\/blog\/2015\/03\/18\/the-lorica-of-saint-patrick\/","title":{"rendered":"The Lorica of Saint Patrick"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Lorica of Saint Patrick<\/p>\n

$\"geograph-181800-by-Chris-Eilbeck\"$ <\/a><\/p>\n

The \u201clorica of St Patrick\u201d is a prayer or incantation for divine protection (\u201clorica\u201d meant \u201cbreastplate\u201d). \u00a0These verses have been attributed to Saint Patrick, the 5th century evangelist who is now the patron saint of Ireland, and whose feast is celebrated by Christians and non-Christians alike. \u00a0It is also now a hymn, which is commonly sung on Trinity Sunday (for obvious reasons).<\/p>\n

In honor of Saint Patrick\u2019s feast day I offer this prayer. \u00a0You may find this and prayers of other famous Christians\u00a0at our website:\u00a0 http:\/\/www.theundergroundchurch.net\/prayer\/famousprayers.html<\/a><\/p>\n

I arise today
\nThrough a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
\nThrough a belief in the Threeness,
\nThrough confession of the Oneness
\nOf the Creator of creation.<\/p>\n

I arise today
\nThrough the strength of Christ\u2019s birth and His baptism,
\nThrough the strength of His crucifixion and His burial,
\nThrough the strength of His resurrection and His ascension,
\nThrough the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.<\/p>\n

I arise today
\nThrough the strength of the love of cherubim,
\nIn obedience of angels,
\nIn service of archangels,
\nIn the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
\nIn the prayers of patriarchs,
\nIn preachings of the apostles,
\nIn faiths of confessors,
\nIn innocence of virgins,
\nIn deeds of righteous men.<\/p>\n

I arise today
\nThrough the strength of heaven;
\nLight of the sun,
\nSplendor of fire,
\nSpeed of lightning,
\nSwiftness of the wind,
\nDepth of the sea,
\nStability of the earth,
\nFirmness of the rock.<\/p>\n

I arise today
\nThrough God\u2019s strength to pilot me;
\nGod\u2019s might to uphold me,
\nGod\u2019s wisdom to guide me,
\nGod\u2019s eye to look before me,
\nGod\u2019s ear to hear me,
\nGod\u2019s word to speak for me,
\nGod\u2019s hand to guard me,
\nGod\u2019s way to lie before me,
\nGod\u2019s shield to protect me,
\nGod\u2019s hosts to save me
\nFrom snares of the devil,
\nFrom temptations of vices,
\nFrom every one who desires me ill,
\nAfar and anear,
\nAlone or in a multitude.<\/p>\n

I summon today all these powers between me and evil,
\nAgainst every cruel merciless power that opposes my body and soul,
\nAgainst incantations of false prophets,
\nAgainst black laws of pagandom,
\nAgainst false laws of heretics,
\nAgainst craft of idolatry,
\nAgainst spells of women and smiths and wizards,
\nAgainst every knowledge that corrupts man\u2019s body and soul.
\nChrist shield me today
\nAgainst poison, against burning,
\nAgainst drowning, against wounding,
\nSo that reward may come to me in abundance.<\/p>\n

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
\nChrist in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
\nChrist on my right, Christ on my left,
\nChrist when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
\nChrist in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
\nChrist in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
\nChrist in the eye that sees me,
\nChrist in the ear that hears me.<\/p>\n

I arise today
\nThrough a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
\nThrough a belief in the Threeness,
\nThrough a confession of the Oneness
\nOf the Creator of creation<\/p>\n

(St. Patrick, 387-461; This particular version is popular on the internet though I am not sure of the original translator; it is found in\u00a0Alexander Carmichael, Carmina Gadelica<\/em>, Lindisfarne Press, 1992, p 78. \u00a0There is a truncated version posted\u00a0at\u00a0Beliefnet<\/a>).<\/p>\n

(The photo above is \u00a9 Copyright Chris Eilbeck and licensed for reuse under this\u00a0Creative Commons Licence<\/a>).<\/b><\/body><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"